Continued on from School Mode Phase 1, though this story is self-contained and thus no previous knowledge is required.

Hey there! I'm Jay Slezak, soon-to-be Co-Director of Hope's Peak #11038's SPLIT! No, we're not spliiting from Hope's Peak or anything; it's an acronym! It stands for the Supplementary Program for Learning Integratively Together. Now I bet you're wondering, "Who are you talking to?" Well, I'm talking to all of you guys of course. The ones who expressed interest in returning and the ones who found us and decided to join in! Y'know, it's been real tough these past few months with everyone leaving us, but it did open up lots of time for me to forward my goals. Still...I've been quite lonely--especially since there's one person in particular I'm looking forward to seeing again--*sigh* 'No Jay, you have to keep this personable, not personal,' Um, anyway, so I'm anxious for the new term to commence! I hope you are too. That's why I've been practicing this speech nonstop for the past week. I just can't wa--oh! Huh?

Jay's concentration was broken by a buzzing in his pocket. It was Jay's brother, Jeremy, trying to contact Jay through the e-Handbook. Turning away from the mirror, Jay procured the handbook and answered it.

"Ready to start, Jay?" The slightly-distorted but deep voice of a calm, but tired, man crackled through the handbook's speaker.

"O-Oh yeah, just freshening up. I'm...quite nervous," Jay replied.

"That is to be expected, but I am sure you will perform excellently. Please report to the Control Room in two minutes."

"Got it, Jeremy. I'll be right there." With finality, he ended the connection, stared wistfully out the opened frosted window for a moment, and exited the room.

The view didn't follow, instead turning towards the window and flying through it. Bright, sunny skies reflected down on the recently-fallen snow. Wherever this place was, it seemed to be winter time. The camera now panning around to face where it had just come from--the frosted window closing, nearly concealing a rushing Jay as he once again raced out of sight--a gently-blanketed school building was revealed. As the camera entered a circling pattern around the school, a logo appeared on-screen.

"...And three, two, one, action."

"Hey there! I'm Jay Slezak, soon-to-be Co-Director..." The voiceover trails off as the camera fades to white. It fades back in on the interior of the school, facing the front doors. It seems to be waiting for the first student to arrive.

Chapter 0 BEGIN - Starting Fresh

-=-=-

Aaaaaand it's back! Welcome to those joining us for the first time, and welcome back to those returning!

Stepping with hesitation into the school first was a rather thin blue-haired boy.

"Um, hello? Is anyone here?" Receiving no apparent answer other than the reverberation of his own voice, he worked his way further into the main hall.

---

*Ding Dong, Bing Bong* A rather jazzy version of the timeless school bell melody filled the rooms and halls."Attention Students! We have a new arrival! Please gather in the Mai-""You don't need to announce that. You could just...go to the others' rooms and tell them. Now let's go introduce ourselves!"The announcement cut off without another word.

An excited brown-haired man bounded down the stairs and, seeing the new arrival, began making his way towards him. Following way behind was a somewhat worn-out, somewhat older-looking blonde haired man, moving at a much slower pace.

"Ah, Mr. Stanza. It is you. I am your Director, Jeremy Slezak. I will be down in a moment!" the blonde-haired man yelled as he began to descend the stairs.

"And I'm Jay, Jeremy's brother and soon-to-be Co-Director! Can you believe it? All I need to do is pass the final exam and--" the brown-haired man began to explain, talking much faster than he probably meant to and, as a result, stopping himself, "Ah, pardon my excitement! Nice to meet you."

"N-Nice to meet...the both of you as well...I guess," the blue-haired boy muttered, looking away from the pair coming towards him, "Mikael...Stanza. Ultimate Voice Actor."

The next person to enter was a Japanese man. He looks to be too old for high school/college, as he is about 27 years old. He wore a black vest over a simple white dress shirt and black tie, black dress pants, and black dress shoes. His shirt's sleeves were rolled up, exposing his forearms. There are red dragon tattoos on his arms. His medium-length black hair is neatly combed back.

His dark brown eyes seems to be staring intensely at the red flip cellphone that was in his right hand.

"....... Tch." The man finally said, before putting the phone away in his pockets. He then looks at the Slezak brothers. "So, you two are brothers, huh...?" The man looks to be deep in thought for a moment, before continuing to speak, "If that's the case then..." He then looks at Jermey Slezak.

"Would it be alright if I can address you as Slezak-sensei while your brother is addressed as Slezak-san?" The man asked, as he gestured towards Jay Slezak.

Without waiting for an answer, the man spoke once more, "I assume this must be Hope's Peak Academy, is it not? If so... Slezak-sensei, when do you expect classes to start? I don't have all day, because there's important things I need to focus on. And classes is one of those important things."

The man then crossed his arms and watched as the scene unfolds before him.

"Ah yes, of course Mr. Arakida..." Jeremy responded with a slight bit of nervousness as he finally reached the first floor. "Or um, do you have a more preferred way you wish to be addressed? In any case, once more of the expected new students arrive, we shall discuss how your schooling shall progress here."

"Oh, no, no, Slezak-sensei. It's fine how you address me. I don't mind being addressed as Mr. Arakida." The man replied politely, as he took note of Jeremy's nervousness. "Very well! I suppose an introduction is in order, yes?"

The man turns towards the others, before continuing to speak, "Greetings, I am Sojiro Arakida." Sojiro said, before bowing down, like how a Japanese person would normally do. "I am the SHSL Yakuza."

Even before the man stated his talent, his appearance was a dead giveaway to what his ultimate talent is.

Moments later, a thin boy with messy blond hair steps in. He wears a tutleneck sweater, a pair of sweatpants, and socks; all of which are black. He is noticeably shoeless. The boy quietly shuffles towards the back of the room.

"N-No! Not at all! I am not nervous, just excited about all the new stu-""He's totally nervous. You can tell because people who deny their nervousness are always trying to hide it! But hey, it's okay!" Jay almost literally jumped at the chance to shake Sojiro's hand. "I've never met an actual Yakuza before! It must be pretty tough work!"

Giving up on trying to continue conversing with the now-occupied Yakuza, Jeremy sighed and focused his attention on the next new arrival. "Hello!" he called out, "Mr. Hill, thank you for coming. I am the Director of this branch, Jeremy Slezak. Ultimate Professor. Would you mind introducing yourself?"

"My name is Lau. Bud Lau," he says. He notices the Slezak brothers and goes off to shake their hands.

"I am the Ultimate Senator!" he says. He notices Sojiro and raises an eye. "A Yakuza hm? Dude, you are a gang member. No killing people while I'm here, m'kay?"

Bud Lau was the youngest person to be elected a US senator. He'd entered office at the age of 16, one year ago. He was already campaigning for reelection despite it being 5 years off. No one knew how, but he'd somehow won 100% of the electoral votes despite having people more than twice his age running against him.

"H-hello everyone." A girl about the same age as Bud walks in. She gave everyone a nervous smile.

"I'm Flo, Flo Yates. I applied here as the Ultimate Sociologist... my research is on super old people."

A short, but awkward silence follows.

"Err, I hope to get along with you guys!"

She went off to the side and took a seat. Flo had transferred to various all-girls schools and lived with many foster families. Because of this, she was regularly meeting and interacting with new people, getting a knack for the human psyche. However, most of this was in theory, not practice. She joined Hope's Peak in the hopes of settling down more and learning about long-term human interactions.

"Ah, Mr. Lau, Ms. Yates. Welcome! Wait...Yates..." Jeremy waved their way, then stopped and pondered for a moment, "Oh, um, I apologize. That name just sounded a bit familiar."

"Fl-Flo..." Jay uttered, his expression becoming serious and wistful but for a moment. Casting his glance away to notice Jeremy also in thought, he turned back and coughed. "Wow, sociology!" Jay shouted finally, "You must've met some very interesting people along the way. And then we have Bud." Jay turned towards the Senator, "Winning a unanimous vote? And at such a young age too! That's crazy-awesome though!" Turning to the soft-spoken boy, Jay added, nearly jumping into the air, "Puppets!? I'd love to see a show sometime!"

"Heh, it was for nothing. I spent ten years worth of blood and sweat getting to where I am." Sojiro remarked in regard to Jay Slezak's comment. "If you want to know more about the Yakuza, you can always-"

Before he could finish the sentence, Sojiro was suddenly taken aback by Bud's arrival. Then Bud asked him to not do any killings while he is here.

"Come on, Lau-san. What do you think I am here for?" Sojiro lets out an sigh of annoyance before he spoke some more. "I'm here to catch up on my education. Plus, Hope's Peak requested that I do not engage in anything that would be in violation of any of their rules and their mission."

Ignoring Bud Lau for now, Sojiro turns to faces the other newcomers. "Yates-san, how do you do?" Sojiro said as he gave a slight bow. To Isaiah Hill, he said, "And how do you do, Hill-san?"

Isaiah's eyes light up at Jay's reply. "You like puppets too? I-If you want, I can perform right now. I don't have my puppets with me, but I could go get them." He jumps to his feet - a little too quickly, as he slips and falls back down.

Jay gasped and rushed to the side of the fallen Puppeteer. "Are you alright? A-A-As soon-to-be Co-Director, it's my job to tend t..." Jay yammered, then realized being excitable probably wasn't going to help anything. "U-Um... Sorry about that. Is there anything I can do for you? We can do the puppet thing, more slowly, after some more introductions, 'kay?" Jay offered a hand to Isaiah to help him up.

Ordinarily, a man such as Sojiro would not escape Cat's notice. Anyone who looked like a threat to her son's safety would be treated with suspicion. Perhaps Cat would even try to leave with Austin if she knew he was the SHSL Yakuza. But she didn't know that. And didn't seem to be paying any attention whatsoever to anyone in the room. Anyone except Jeremy, whom she walked toward in an almost dreamlike state, pushing Austin's wheelchair before her. Her hair was wilder than usual. There were dark circles under her eyes. How long had it been since she slept . . . ?

Seven cats, a Siamese, a tuxedo cat, a Persian, a Tabby, an American Shorthair, a Sphinx, and a Maine Coon trailed behind her, purring loudly, as if trying to cure her. This elicited soft mews from Austin's lap, on which there were three little kittens: one Ragdoll, one Bengal (the domestic cat breed, not the tiger), and one black longhaired little kitty. They were all huddled together for warmth.

While Cat seemed unaware of everyone else except Jeremy, the boy in the wheelchair seemed hyper aware. His eyes with even darker circles under them than his mother's darted around the room frantically. But he did not speak. He just bit his lip and shook slightly.

"Hello, Mr. Slezak," Cat said formally and briskly. "I would like to speak with you privately when I have the chance. It's about, well . . . ."

She gestured vaguely. But she was pretty sure Jeremy could guess. Only then did she seem to realize other people were there.

"Oh, hello, everyone." She lifted an arm off of Austin's wheelchair to wave, though the gesture was half-heartex. "I'm Cat and this is my son, Austin. Say 'hello,' Austin."

Austin didn't react at first, so Cat stepped out from behind his wheelchair and nudged her slightly. Austin started.

"Greetings! How do you do?" Sojiro greeted them with regards. "Ah, if you don't mind me asking... What's your last name? I'm sorry if I sounded so sudden, but the thing is... Last names are more important than first names in Japan that I'm from, you see."

Slamming the doors open came a red-haired boy, holding up what looked like a court order mandating the need to "continue your education." His name was Alfons, the Ultimate Archer, who wanted nothing more than to leave the walls of the school, which harbored bad memories to him.

"The great Alfons Einarrson...has arrived," he sighed, unable to hide his disappointment that he had to return for yet another dreadful semester. He roughly walked into Sojiro, getting knocked back a bit. "Who is this giant that is standing in my way?!" Alfons snapped, taking his golden bow and aiming it straight towards Sojiro's face. Business as usual.

Before Sojiro had a chance to respond, Alfons simply smirked and shook his head. "You are trying to get a reaction out of me, no doubt, what with you being the hulking road block that you are, but I, Alfons Einarrson, am a reformed man!"

The sleep-deprived mother and son pair walking listlessly towards Jeremy did not escape his notice. "Oh um, yes, Cat. At my earliest convenience, we shall discuss what is happening. I have...business matters at the moment though." Jeremy began to walk towards Sojiro.

Jay noticed Austin and Cat as well and picked up on what Jeremy was trying to do. Jay rushed over, though knowing a stiff breeze could topple Cat, he stopped moments before reaching her and gently wrapped his arms around her. "M-Mom..." he said in a soft, though shaky voice. Turning back to the others, he explained, "Everyone, this is Catherine Zimmern. She's this guy--Austin's--mother. If you're uh, wondering why I called her 'mom' just now...it's a long story. Ask me later in private. Now's not the best time. Oh! She's the Ultimate Crazy Cat Lady. And Austin there's the SHSL Programmer." Jay knew that as Co-Director, it'd be his job to keep the peace and make sure everyone got along. It would be difficult for sure, but Jay was willing to accept the challenge.

Mikael, without saying a word, had walked over and begun petting the Siamese cat that had been following Cat. He knew he had no business interfering with what was transpiring. He figured the least he could do was familiarize himself with her cats, at least.

"Mr. Arakida," Jeremy began in a low voice while Jay was distracting Cat, "As you are a nontraditional student, your studies here will be slightly different from the others', but you are more than welcome to attend the classes if you wish--and I certainly hope you do. I will be working with you one-on-one whenever I have some time. I wish you to catch up to speed as quickly as possible, but please do not feel rushed. Also, one more thing concerning the lady over there--" Jeremy gestured towards Cat and Austin, and lowered his tone even further, "She is...doing her best, but it should be obvious that if she finds out about your talent, she may attempt to make a break for it. I have the utmost confidence you would never do anything, but she does not...and she is in no fit state to be giving benefits of the doubt. I pray you understand what I am implying. Anyway, fret not--our first lesson shall start before too long. And please..." Jeremy gestured towards Alfons, who had just walked in and probably nearly interrupted their talk, "Ignore him for now. He has been a bit of a thorn...but he is still a student like everyone else, and deserves equal treatment."

"O-oh . . . . Right. Of course," Cat said in response to Jeremy saying he had business matters to attend to. She sighed softly to herself and prepared to wheel Austin back to his dorm room, not even bothering to acknowledge anyone else, when Jay approached and gently hugged her, muttering a word in a shaky voice. The word that summoned tears to her eyes.

"J-Jay," she muttered back in a soft tone. Then she seemed to relax, smiling softly. "How have you been, dear?"

Then Jay introduced Austin and Cat more properly, to which Cat let out a hollow chuckle.

"I know I look like a delicate flower, but you didn't have to introduce us for me, love," she said. She seemed more willing to socialize now, at least.

"I don't think I've met any of you before, besides the . . . ." She trailed off with a soft groan, trying to think of something not completely rude to say about Alfons. She hadn't exactly had a good impression of him last time they met, but Austin for some reason kept insisting she was being too harsh and she should give him a chance. She had only let Austin stay because of Jeremy and Jay's reassurances, but now, she was even less patient than she was then.

". . . Besides Mr. Einarrson." Even though she'd used a neutral, even polite, name, her tone suggested she was not willing to deal with any nonsense.

The Siamese cat without missing a beat rubbed against Mikael and began purring. Austin said nothing. Just stiffened with a look of a deer caught in the headlights.

Avatar drawn by MC_Kitten, edited by Slezak

Last edited by Lida_Rose on Wed Dec 27, 2017 6:03 am, edited 1 time in total.

"Ah, I'm doing fairly well," Jay replied in honesty, "Ever since I started workin' through my problems and distractin' myself from loneliness...Did I tell you all I gotta do now is pass the final exam, then I'll graduate and come straight back here as Co-Director? I can't wait to--" One of the cats had begun nuzzling against Jay's leg and he realized he'd started to ramble. "In...any case, I've got a lifelong commitment to helping people, and while I know I didn't have to introduce you two, I just...figured I'd help out." Jay reached down to pet the cat while he recited his final sentence, "If there's anything I can do for you or Austin, just let me know."

Mikael had worked his way over to Austin after sufficiently petting the cat. "Oh hey...um, Au..." Mikael began, then sighed. He reached down and pet one of the nearby cats to regain his confidence, then tried again, "Austin, was it? So you...program, huh? Th-That sounds real interesting! I'd...I'd love to learn more about it later if you have time...I think." Mikael looked at Austin curiously and placed a hand to his chin ponderously. A sad look filled Mikael's colorless eyes. He wanted to ask what happened but it seemed as if Austin was in no shape to explain. The brown-haired brother...Jay, Mikael finally remembered, seemed to have a very close relationship with them. Perhaps he could try asking him. Turning away from the man in the wheelchair, Mikael glanced around at all the others. It wasn't just Austin he was interested in; everyone among them seemed to have talents about which Mikael was just brimming with curiosity. But, where should Mikael even start? And how would he muster the courage to ask anyone?

Sojiro felt someone bumped into his back. Following his instincts, he quickly turned around to see who it was. He found himself staring at a arrow that was aimed at him. His heart skipped a beat. He then looked past the arrow and saw that it was a boy, who identified himself as Alfons Einarrson, who was aiming the arrow at him. He became confused as Alfons declared that he is a reformed man.

Sojiro was about to say something when Jeremy Slezak came to his rescue. He shot a thankful look towards Jeremy.

"I understand, Slezak-sensei. I'll do my best to attend your classes if possible." Sojiro said as he listened to Jeremy explains his studies. But when he brought up Cat and Austin, Sojiro became concerned as he lowered his voice to a level in which only Jeremy and Sojiro can hear. "I'll ensure that she doesn't find out about my talent. You have my word."

Sojiro then looks at his dragon tattoos. He sighed as he unrolled the sleeves then he buttoned up the cuffs. Now it was hard to tell that he was a Yakuza.

Still using the same level of voice, he whispered to Jeremy, "Any ideas why Einarrson-san aimed a arrow at me?"

Then Flo approached him and she typed in something in the translation app on her handbook. Then the handbook spoke the question in Japanese. He listened to the question as it was being spoken. Sojiro nodded and thought about it for a moment before answering the question. "I am from the Kyoto prefecture in Japan. I hope that you are satisfied with my answer."

Having heard the announcement, Sakura entered with interest, excited to see the newcomers. She looked rather different from when she'd first arrived at branch 11038, wearing a sleeveless white blouse with a frilly neckline, an ankle-length white skirt with a cherry blossom pattern and matching white sandals, and a light pink head scarf around her head. Even more notable was her hairstyle, however, which had been changed completely. Her hair had streaks of pink dyed in, alternating with the natural brown, and was done up in a braid that was draped over one shoulder, styled so the alternating colours twisted around in a helix. Her tattoos, unsurprisingly, were still the same. Her sleeveless blouse revealed flowers on her right arm, and interlocking animals on her left. Her eyes were also as plum-blossom-pink as ever.

Her arrival quickly became muted, however; seeing Sojiro before he rolled down his sleeves, she immediately panicked and slowed her pace, glancing furtively around the room to try and gauge the situation. It didn't seem anyone was paying the thug much mind, and it sounded like he was being rather polite, but she remained cautious, standing off to one side to observe things some more.

"Mr. Einarrson is the Ultimate Archer. His bow is an extension of himself, and I suppose drawing an arrow is his way of saying hello, like how one would extend their arm for a handshake," Jeremy surmised, still in a whisper to Sojiro. Noticing another student enter, Jeremy pulled away from the Yakuza and in a slightly louder tone said, "Thank you for your understanding. Let us all do our best."

Jeremy then glanced at Alfons and, with a smile, commented, "Thank you for returning, Mr. Einarrson. Even if it is under reluctance, I hope you will enjoy your time here. Apologies for calling you a thorn, but the way you have handled that bow is rather unconventional and, if I may be frank, dangerous if it was anyone else. Please just...try to understand what it would feel like to have an arrow narrowly miss your head. Thank you."

Jeremy turned and began to walk away from Alfons. He inquired towards Sakura, with a hint of surprise which quickly turned to elation, "Miss Himawari? Ah! Miss Himawari, you have returned! Welcome, welcome!" Jeremy walked over and bowed respectfully. He continued, "How has your schooling gone?"

"S-Sakura!?" Jay whisper-shouted. He gave Cat one more tight squeeze. As he pulled away, he put on his sweetest smile; the kind that tells you 'Everything's gonna be alright,' though he couldn't hide the sadness and concern in his eyes. Then he turned and dashed off. Coming up next to his brother, Jay also bowed and asked, "I've missed you so much! Sorry, been a bit too busy to catch any of your streams...if you've done any. Um, so what's up?"

As the conversations carried on, a young girl skipped into the school interior. The returnees from the last phase recognised her as Sophia Cox, the Ultimate Ventriloquist. She appeared to be mostly the same appearance-wise, wearing the same thing which she had been wearing months before, and her puppets stuffed in her pockets. She took a brief glance around, seeing the newcomers, then Jeremy. She waved at him, then moved to see the student roster, quickly identifying who was who with the information provided. As she murmured the details to herself, she bumped into Sakura, who was still observing things from afar. Halting herself, she stopped to take a look at the origami expert. A second or two later, recognition dawned on her.

"It is nothing short of a miracle that Mrs. Baker Bitch is absent," Alfons sighed with relief, observing the students. "She deserves a swift dose of justice. Besides, what is a grown woman like her doing around here? She is the kind to prey on highschoolers! OHOHO!"

Sophia turns to face Isaiah. "Puppeteer…? Oh, well, technically, I'm the Ultimate Ventriloquist, Sophia Cox. Nice to meet you!", she says, shaking his hand eagerly. "You must be…" She pauses momentarily to flip through the student roster. After a minute, her eyes shimmer with interest. "Oh! Isaiah Hill, Ultimate Puppeteer! Wow, really? That's a pretty funny coincidence." She giggles. "Maybe we could work together if you'd like. If you don't mind, can you show me your puppets?"

Felicity entered the school next, and smiled on noticing the group gathered ahead. Her steps picked up speed until she was nearly skipping towards them.

Her appearance was quite the same as before, except for one addition - a cream crossbody bag. Her left hand, with her customary sun bracelet on her wrist, loosely held onto the front strap.

"Alfons, Ms. Zimmern, Austin, Sophia... nice to see you all again!" She greeted those she recognised first with an energetic shout, before turning to the newcomers. Though she was surprised by Sojiro's age, she chose not to comment on it. "Hello, everybody! I'm Felicity Clover, the Ultimate Lucky Student! I hope we get along well."

But there were still three people she hadn't addressed yet...

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" She asked hesitantly as she walked over to the small group of Sakura, Jay and Jeremy.

"Sure!" Isaiah smiles back at Sophia, though a bit weaker and shyly. "I already promised someone else I'd put on a show after the introductions, so..." he awkwardly trails off and begins mumbling to himself again.

Another girl, bespectacled and black-haired, emerged from one of the dorm rooms. She was clad in the winter version of her usual school uniform; a long-sleeved white blouse with red ribbon, and calf-length red skirt with white socks and brown loafers. She had a pink-covered journal tucked under one arm. Spotting Sakura, she quickly followed the other girl into the room where the others had gathered and likewise shrank at the sight of the yakuza. She put on a worried smile and quietly sidled up next to Sakura to simply watch things unfold for now.

"Ah! Miss Cox, Miss Clover, Miss Amachi. Welcome back, all of you!" Jeremy greeted with a wide smile. Seeing his students return for another term always gave him a warm feeling. "Miss Clover, you are not interrupting anything at all. We were all just catching up."

Jay's face lit up when the Lucky Student entered the room. Like seeing an old best friend, his heartbeat quickened and his mind raced to try to figure out how to greet her. "Felicity!...Dreamy! I'm...I'm overjoyed you came back!" He could feel his eyes welling up with tears and made no attempt to hide it. "I've missed you so much...There are so many questions and not enough time to ask them!" He took a step forward as if to advance towards her, perhaps for a hug, but froze in his tracks, unsure what to do.

Mikael remained speechless, half because he was still waiting for a reply from Austin, and half because he was overwhelmed by the number of new people who had entered the room.

While everyone was speaking to eachother, a young man sets foot into the inside of the school, with his arms folded. He had blonde hair with a fringe covering his right eye, and wore a t-shirt with a picture of a circuit imprinted onto it, along with blue jeans and black trainers. Whoever knew the face would recognize him instantly - it's Matt Cognomen.

Stepping inside, he lets a light sigh out, looking around the interior of the school - and more specifically, glancing at each of the people already inside. Some of them were even familiar faces, but he chose to ignore that very detail. No, that didn't matter right now. For now, he figures he should introduce himself.

"Right..." He clears his throat,* "Hey, everyone. I'm Matt Cognomen - the Ultimate Technophile. It's good to meet you all."

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